Wireless check-row planter.



B. V. WATSON. WIRELESS CHECK ROW PLANTER. APPLICATION TILED APR.8, 1913.

Patented June 30,1914..

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B. V. WATSON.

WIRELESS CHECK ROW PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.8, 191a.

1, 1 01,978. Patented June 30, 1914.

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mail.

PH cm, WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED strarrns PATENT OFFICE.

RIDDLE V. WATSON, OF UTAH, ILLINOIS.

wInELEss CHECK-ROW rLANrEa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1913. Serial No. 759,774.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BmnLn V. 'WArsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Utah, in the county of l Varren and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful; \Vireless Check-Row Planter, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates particularly to that class of planters which are used in planting corn in check-rows and in which the seedingmechanism is actuated by means to which movement is imparted by the planter-supporting wheels or by means rotating therewith.

The principal object is to generally improve the construction and increase the capacity of planters of this character, without changing the construction of the forward frame or necessitating any particular kind or character thereof.

The improvements are directed more particularly to means forconveniently startingthe later rows in check line with those first started; in means for advancing or retard-. ing a deposit of seed when by or for any reason or cause the cross rows have become out of alinement; for providing novel means of adjustment for deeper or shallower planting; for raising the markers out of operative positions when desired; and for throwing the means for actuating the seeding mechanism out of operative positions when desired.

Some minor obj ects will be in part obviousand in part pointed out.

Many of the details and combinations illustrated in the accompanying drawings,;

which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention and which show also a modi fied construction of certain parts, are not essential to the invention considered in its; broadest aspect. All this will be indicated: in the claims hereof, wherein the omission of an element or the non-inclusion of reference to the details of structure is intended to be a formal declaration of the factthat the omit-ted elements or features are not es-j sential to the invention covered by that claim. I

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a top plan; Fig. 3, a trans, verse section, taken in the plane of the line 33 in Fig. 1, looking toward the front;. Fig. 4:, a detail of the foot-lever and parts engaged and locked thereby; a transversesection in the line 4-4 in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a

detaila transverse section in the line 55 in Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a detail of the hand-l-everengagingclutches shown in the above (principal) figures, but seen from in front,and

Figs. 7 and 8, modifications, and respectively an elevation partly in longitudinal section and a transverse section partly in elevation.

Coming now to a detailed description of the drawings and referring thereto by numerals, the same one of which is uniformly employed to designate thesame part in each of the figures, 1 represents a front frame of ordinary type, comprising frame bars 2, 3 and 10, runners 4, seed-boxes 5 in which is arranged seeding mechanism 6 of any suitable character, actuated .by the usual rockshaft 7, and seed-tubes or legs 8. The construction of these parts has nothing to do with my invention and need not be herein further described.

Hinged to the draft bars 10 of the forward frame by bolts 11 are the side bars 12 of the rear frame, of which 13, 13, designate respectively the front and rear transverse frame bars. The flanges 1 1 of axle-boxes 15 are fixed each to .a bar 12. 16 is a hollow axle provided with openings 17, 18, 19

and 20 in its wall, and is mounted to revolve in said boxes.

21 designates the left hand supporting wheel, rotatably mounted on the axle-box 15 at that side of the planter and having a peripheral or rim flange 22.

23 (see Fig. 2) is a marker-carrying wheel rotatably mounted on the aXle. On oppo- Patented June 30, 1914. l

sitely projecting spokes 24. of this wheel are slidably mounted markers 25.

26, 26 deslgnate reslstance brings for returning the markers to normal positions after being drawn toward each other for a purpose presently described.

27 represents the right hand supporting wheel, rotatably mounted on the axle-box at that side of the machine and having Withinits peripheral flange 28 an internal gear 29.

30 is a marker-and-tappet-carrying' wheel spoke, 31, carrying at its outerend a pinion 32 which in one motion revolves around the fixed on the axle and having one shortened 36, 86 indicate a pair of oppositely disposed markers slidably mounted on oppositely disposed spokes 37 of the wheel 30.

38 designates a marker-drawing chain having at its outer end two divergent branches 39 each of which is fast to a marker 36, the inner end of said chain passing through the aperture 20 in the axle and secured to a collar 10 loosely mounted on the axle and provided with a locking lug 41, see Fig. 1.

12 designates a marker-drawing chain having branches 13 each of which is fast to a marker 25, the inner flight of said chain passing through the bore of the axle and outwardly through the aperture 19, its terminal secured to said collar l0. Preferably the chains 39 and 43 traverse some antifriction means, as, for instance, the pulleys 14i.

15 designates a locking dog fulcrumed on a spoke of the wheel 30, its point adapted to engage a selective tooth 29 of the wheel 27 to lock said wheel 30 from turning backward with relation to the wheel 27, a spring 46 holding it in yielding engagement with said tooth.

17 is a chain, one of its ends fixed to (and actuated by) the upper branch of the marker-chain 39 and its other end secured to the rear inner portion of said dog, while its midlength traverses a pulley l8 carried in a bracket 19 on the rim of the wheel 30.

50 indicates a similar but oppositely clirected dog, llliQWlSG fulcrumed on a spoke of wheel 30, and is actuated by a chain 51 traversing a pulley 52 and secured to the lower branch of the chain 37, for locking the wheel from movement in the contrary direction.

When the markers have been withdrawn they will be locked in that position by the dogs 4-5 and 56 which are then in locked engagement with the teeth of the wheel 27.

72 is a lockingdog-actuating spring.

59 is a marker-setting or adjusting chain, the inner end. portion of which passes through the opening 18 and is secured to the sleeve portion of an annular rack 53 revolubly mounted on the axle and held from movement in one direction by a collar 54: secured on said. axle by a set screw 55. A portion of the sleeve 56 of said rack is cut away as shown best in Figs. hand 6, to permit it to move with relation to said chain. The outer portion of said chain traverses a pulley 57 and its terminal engages a pinion actuating dog 58 tulcrumed on the free end of an arm 60 pivoted at its inner end on the axle 61 of the pinion 32.

62 is a dog-return spring, and 63 an armreturn spring. A similar arm-return spring (for the arm 65) is not shown.

64- is a dog identical in construction with the dog 58 but oppositely directed, and is fulcrumed on the free end of an arm 65 pivoted at its inner end on said axle 61. 66 is a dog return-spring.

67 is a marker-setting chain, its outer end secured to the heel of the dog 6 1, its flight traversing a pulley 67, thence extended longitudinally through the axle 16, thence through the aperture 17 in the wall thereof, and its terminal secured to the sleeve 68 of a rack 69, which rack is restrained from movement in one direction by a collar 70 secured to the axle 16 by a set screw 71. The sleeve 68 is cut away as shown best at Figs. 5 and 6.

The dogs 58 and 6 1 are normally out of engagement with the pinion 32, but are brought into engagement therewith. when tension is applied to the connected chains 59 and 67.

72 is a lever fulcrumed on a ring 73 intermediate the racks 53 and 69 and adapted for selective engagements with either rack toimpart to either thereof a part revolution on the axle 16.

74 is a foot lever suitably pivoted on the frame 1 and having a hook 7 5.

76 is a return spring therefor.

77 is an arm fixed on the rock shaft 7, and 7 8 is a bell-crank lever fulcrumed in a bracket 7 9 fixed on a frame bar 2.

80 is a link connecting one arm of the lever 78 to the arm 7 7 81 is the usual return-spring.

The horizontal arm of the lever is beveled off at its end and is adapted to be tripped by the tappets 33 in an evident manner.

82 is a boss on the axle, in alinement with the dog 41.

Assume the planter parts to be in the relative positions shown in Fig 1. As the team draws the planter forwardly the markers will successionally indicate the cross rows, inasmuch as the tappets are so set that they will trip the lever 76 to actuate the rock-shaft to cause the seeding 1nechanism 6 to discharge and deposit a charge of seed at such place that the oncoming marker will strike the ground thereover. Should the markers and thereby the seed deposits become in advance of the crossrows tornierly planted, the operator will raise the lever 72 from its normal position (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) and engage it with a notch in the rack 69; Each rearward movement of the lever will impart a part rotation to the rack sleeve 68 to draw upon the chain 67 and thereby lift the dog 6-1 bodily and throw its point forwardly to strike and bear against a teeth of the pinion. 32 to rotate it, and thus carry the wheel 30 in the opposite direction of movement to that which it had when rotated by the ground wheel 27. This movement is permitted by reason of the fact that simultaneously with the dog 6 1 raising as above described its heel will strike the heel of the dog 50 and throw its point out'of en-' .wheel 27 will cause the former wheel to revolve backward on and with relation to said wheel 27, and as the wheel 82 is secured on a spoke of the wheel 30 the latter will also be carried backward, or in the contrary direction to that in which it is carried by the ground-wheel 27. The markers and tappets being carried likewise, the next succeeding one of the latter will of course strike and trip the lever 7 8 a little later and thereby discharge the seed correspondingly in advance of where they would have been deposited had not the shift been made. peated actuations of the lever 72 will be re quired if it be desired to move the tappets and markers still farther rearward.

The movement to retard the deposit of seed will be by similar operations of the lever 72, rack 53, chain 59, dog 58, dog 50, and pinion 32, and except to state that the latter is moved in a direction contrary to that last described, no further description will be required.

To set the markers at the beginning of the rows the operator will first withdraw them from their projecting positions by tripping the foot lever to throw it into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4:. As the planter is drawn forward the shaft 16 will rotate within the collar 10 and the boss a1 will be caught and locked by the hook 75, looking the collar from rotation. The axle, however, continues to rotate until its boss 82 strikes upon the heel of said dog 41, where upon it is locked. Forward movement of the team will exert tension on the chains 38 and 4:2 to draw inwardly on the branches 39 and 43 to draw the markers inwardly. In-

this position the machine may be turned at the ends of rows or locally transported without movement of the wheel 80, (or while it is at rest,) for simultaneously with the withdrawal of the markers the chains 39 and 4-3 will draw upon the chains 48 and 51 to disconnect the dogs 45 and 50 from the teeth 29. The shown arrangement of the dogs ll and 82 with relation to the hook 7 5 will, when the engagements thereof ust above described have been efiected, place the markers in horizontal or inoperative positions. It is only necessary, therefore, for the operator to drive the planter to the proper position at the beginning of a row, release the markers in an evident manner, in line with the first cross-row deposits, and proceed, the foot lever having first been released.

The boss 82 provides a positive lock to prevent rotation of the axle and marker after the dogs 15 and 50 are in inoperative positions. Friction between the parts might cause the markers to turn with the flange 28.

Therefore, before the boss 82 contacts with the locking lug 11 the dogs 45 and 50 must be in inoperative positions to prevent the shaft turning with the flange 28 which would endanger the hook 7 5.

I. now proceed to describe the modifications illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. 90 designates a pear shaped sleeve slidably and rotatably mounted on the axle 16. 91 is a like collar, likewise mounted. 92 is a hand lever corresponding to the lever '4' 2 but fulcrumed at 93 to a suitable part of the frame and provided with a yoke 94 the bifurcations of which are pivoted at 95 to a collar 96 slidably mounted on the aXle. As the power arm of the lever is thrown to the left the yoke 9-1 will move the collar 96 to the right to drive the sleeve 90 likewise, and it in thus moving will draw the terminal of the chain 59 (the end of which is here secured to a bolt 97 in the end of said collar) over the reflexed portion 98 of the axle and thus draw inwardly on saidchain to move the dog 58 and parts connected therewith and actuated thereby, in the manner hereinbefore described. It will be evident that this movement may be performed while the planter is in operation and at any time or period when a marker is not in contact with the ground. When the lever 92 is thrown in the contrary direction the sleeve 91 will be moved to the left and the chain 67 will be drawn in the same direction as was earlier herein described when it was operated by the lever 72. After each operation the springs 46, 72, and 62, 66 will return their respective dogs to normal positions. Any

number of movements may thus be imparted to the wheel 30 to bring the parts into the positions desired.

1 claim as new:

1. In a'planter, a supporting wheel provided with gear teeth, a tappet-carrying wheel movable thereby and also independently thereof, a toothed minor wheel in gear with said teeth, means whereby said tappet-carrying' wheel is actuated in either direction by said minor wheel, tappets on said tappet-carrying wheel, and seeding mechanism actuated by said tappets.

2. In a planter, a supporting wheel provided with gear teeth, a tappet-carrying wheel movable thereby and also independently thereof, a toothed minor wheel in gear with said. teeth, means whereby said tappet-carrying wheel is actuated in either direction by said minor wheel, tappets on said tappet-carrying wheel, means for shifting their positions, and seeding mechanism actuated by said tappets.

3. In a planter, supporting wheels one of which includes gear teeth, a tappet-carrying wheel, means for locking them together,

means for disengaging them, a toothed wheel carried by the tappet-carrying wheel and engaging the gear teeth above recited, tappets on the tappet-carrying wheel, markers carried by said Wheel, and means acting through said toothed Wheel for simultaneously moving said markers and tappets relatively to said toothed supporting Wheel.

In a planter, supporting Wheels, an axle rotatable independently thereof, markercarrying Wheels adapted each for engagement with one of said supporting Wheels, means for disengaging it therefrom, a marker on each o1 said marker-carrying Wheels, chains Working longitudinally of said axle and engaged each at one end with a marker, mean for stopping the rotation of said axle and means for Withdrawing the markers from operative positions.

5. In a planter, seeding mechanism, supporting Wheels, one of which is provided with gear teeth, an axle on Which said Wheels are rotatably mounted, a tappet carrying wheel, a pinion carried thereby and adapt ed to mesh with said gear teeth, and means whereby said pinion may be made to travel either forwardly or back While in mesh W said gear teeth, whereby the tappet carrying Wheel is rotated independently oi said supporting Wheel.

In a planter, seeding mechanism, supporting "wheels one or which is provided with gear teeth, an axle on Which said wlr s are rotatably mounted, a tappet-carryiug .vh cl, a pinion carried thereby and adapted to mesh with said gear-teeth, means passing longitudinally of the axle whereby said pinion may he made to travel forwardly to impart rotary movement in one direction to said tamiet-carrying Wheel, means passing longitudinally of the axle whereby said tappet-carrying Wheel may be rotated in a direction contrary to that first recited, and tappets carried by said Wheel and adapted to actuate the seeding mechanism.

7. in a planter, supporting Wheels, a hollow axle provided with a plurality of openings in its Wall, chains passing longitudinally of said axle and one of the end portions of each passed outwardly through one of said apertures, means engaged with each of said ends for drawing on said chains, and markers secured one to the other end of each chain.

8. In a planter, supporting wheels, a tappet-Wheel, a hollow axle provided With a plurality of openings in its Wall, chains passed longitudinally of said axle and one end portion of each passed outwardly through one 01": said apertures, a lever for actuating either of said chains, and means actuated by said chains for changing at Will the relative positions of the supporting Wheels and tappet Wheels.

9. In a planter, supporting Wheels, one of Which is provided With gear teeth, a tappetand-inarker-carrying Wheel, a gear Wheel carried thereby and adapted for engagements with said gear teeth, tappets carried by the second recited Wheel, markers carried also thereby, a hollow axle supported by the first recited Wheels, dogs carried by the marker-carrying Wheel plural means for actuating said dogs to drive the gear Wheel relatively to the supporting Wheel and thus change the relative positions of the first and second recited Wheels, a lever tulcruined on said axle and means controlled by said lever for operating said dogs, a second lever, means passing through said axle and con trol ed by the last recited lever for with clawin said markers into inoaerative ositions, and seeding mechanism actuable by SZtlfl tappets.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto athx my signature this 29th day of March, 1913, at (lalesburg, Knox county, Illinois.

RIDDLE V. WATSQN.

Witnesses H. P. 'lnnrnmno, H. M. RICHARDS.

filop'les of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the flommissioner of ratents,

Washington, D. G. 

